Felting-machine.



F. SGHAEFPER & W. J. SHEARER. PBLTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JANJ'I, 1914. 1, 1 08,244. Patented Aug. 25, 19m

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 THE NORRIS PETERS CQ. PHOTOLITHO" WASHINGTON. D. C)

"F. SGHAEFPER & W. J. SHEARER. FELTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED J N.17,1914.

1,108,244. Patented Aug. 25, 19m

3 SHEETS-8HEET 2.

FIG 2;

TME NORRIS PETERS CO PHQTO-LITHOU WASHINGTON. D. C

P. SGHAEPFER & W. J. SHEARER.

FELTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN.17,1914.

Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- 440 M M Z wfi J THE AORRIS PETERS C0.. PHOTO LiTHO WASHING IUN, r: r

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS SGHAEFFER AND WILLIAM J. SHEARER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS 0F ONE-THIRD T0 JOHN J. MILLER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

Famine-MACHINE.

2 Specification of Letters Patent. Applicationfiled January 17, 1914. Serial No. 812,669.

Patent'edAug. 25, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, FRANGIs SOHAEFFER and l/VILLIAM J. SHEARER, citizens of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have i vented certain new and useful Improvements in FeltingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin. felting machines and, it is intended more particularly for use in connection with the manufacture of fur hats.

Theobject in the present instance is to provide a machine by means of which a large number of hat bodies may be treated at one time and in which the said hat bodies may be properly feltedand sized without injury thereto. a I

Heretofore, in the manufacture of fur hats, two or three bodies have been treated at a time; that is, they have been rolled togetherin a wet cloth and placed in a machine, and slzed, but this process is slow and retards the manufacture of hats, thereby limiting the output of the factory.

In the present instance we have provided a machine inwhich a large number of hats are placed in a receptacle and rolled or tumbled about therein by means of a series of rolls having serrated surfaces, until the bodies have been felted and reduced to the proper size. Provision is also made to overcome undue friction as between the walls of the receptacle and the hat bodies, so as to prevent damage to the hats.

The invention is fully described in the following specification and clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure'l is a side elevation of our machine with the movable, weighted roll in closed or lowered position. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a like sectional view, taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 designates the machine frame, formed with suitable supports 2, and which is open at both topand bottom. Interposed between the two side walls 3 and 4 of the frame are a series of rolls 5, each provided with a gear Wheel at one end, as indicated by numerals 6, and one of said rolls is provided with a power wheel 7 on its shaft and a suitable chain belt 8 engages the entire series of gears, so that the rotation of-the power wheel will cause the entire series of rolls to rotate in the same direction. At the end of the machine opposite the point a where power is applied, we attach a lever 10, pivoted to the frame of the machine, and to the ends of the jaws 11 of this lever we secure a roll 12. This roll 12 is much larger, relatively, in diameter, than the other rolls and is hollow for the purpose of varying its weight, which may be done by the insertion therein of any suitable material in desired quantity.

The shaft 13 on which the roll 12 is mounted, is provided at one'end with a gear wheel 15 and a chainbelt 16 engages this gear wheel and also a gear Wheel 17 on one of shafts of the small roll series, so that rotation of the series of small rolls will also cause the large roll to rotate, but, being larger in diameter, the gears 15 and 17 are so arranged that the movement of its surface is the same as that of the small rolls. The lever 10 is provided with a handle 19 by'means of which the roll 12 may belifted, around its pivotal connection with the frame as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, so that the hat bodies may be placed in and removed from the machine.

The side walls of the receptacle are formed of rotatable disks 20, each of which is mounted on a stud 21 in a cross-arm 22 on the frame, so that each entire wall may rotate freely together with the hat bodies as they are rolled or tumbled in the machine, without any friction as between the hat bodies and the receptacle. The rolls are each provided with roughened surface, preferably in the form of longitudinal serrations or ribs 24., so that the hats will be constantly turned or tumbled.

The hat bodies are placed in the receptacle, until it is filled, and the large roll 12, is then lowered, until it presses down against the surface of the mass of hats. Water or other suitable liquid is applied thereto in any suitable manner, as for instance standing the machine in a water container of a depth approximately that indicated by the horizontal line W in Fig. 3. In this manner, the rotation of the rolls will throw the water up into the mass of hats and keep them properly moistened while being felted and sized. If

preferred, steam may be injected into the mass of hat bodies as they are being felted, by means of a jet inserted in the top of the frame (not shown),

The action on the bodies, due to the rotation of the series of small rolls, and the rotation of the large roll at the same surface speed, together with the pressure of said large roll on the mass of hats while being rolled therein, is such that the proper felting or sizing is accomplished without injury to the hats, and the rotatable side walls of the receptacle, capable of being rotated together with the mass of hats, will prevent any friction on the hats.

The size of the machine and the number of rolls may be varied to suit circumstances, and we do not desire to limit ourselves to the exact details of construction shown in the drawings as various modifications may easily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as clearly set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a hat felting machine the combination of a receptacle for the hat bodies, hav ing open top and bottom and provided with a series of felting rolls with two rotatable disks forming respectively two opposite side walls of said receptacle.

2. In a machine for felting and sizing fur hats, the combination of a frame having open top and bottom, a receptacle for the hat bodies comprising aseries of rolls and a pair of oppositely disposed rotatable disks, with a relatively large roll adapted to serve as a closure for the top of the receptacle and means for rotating said rolls.

3. In a machine of the character described, a frame; a series of rolls rotatably mounted therein; two oppositely disposed disks mounted to rotate in said frame, and to form, in conjunction with said rolls, a receptacle for a mass of hat bodies; an individual roll adapted to rest upon the surface of said mass of hat bodies, and means for con veying rotary motion to all of said rolls whereby the hat bodies will be submitted to a tumbling motion, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4:. In a felting machine having a series of felting rolls and means for rotating said rolls, a frame provided with two oppositely disposed, rotatable disks.

j 5. In a hat felting machine having a series of felting rolls and means for rotating said rolls, a receptacle for the hats comprising a frame and a pair of oppositely disposed, rotatable disks mounted in said frame and forming the two side walls of said receptacle.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS SCHAEFFER.

IVILLIAM J. SHEARER.

WVitnesses:

ED. A. KELLY, CLARA E. YOUNG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

